I relate to you in many ways. I struggled with depression as a teenager, I am tall (5'11) moved to Brooklyn because of my husband, not knowing a soul... Anyway running has been a great outlet for me, and maintains my sanity as a busy Mom with two boys. I enjoy your blog thank you for sharing your journey!

Hey Cat, we probably haven't seen each other since I was MAYBE 10 or 11 but I'm Julies little sister! I just wanted to say thank you for keeping me occupied for the 8 boring hours I'm at work. I'm probably almost halfway done with your entire blog!!! hah!

You; my dear, are an inspiration. I hit 277 and that was it for me. Barely making it into the largest size pants available at Lane Bryant was the kicker. I had enough. I started my journey in January 2012 and now in mid-March 2012 I am down 16 pounds and counting. I have a long way to go but I can't wait to reach my goal weight.
Thanks for sharing your amazing story!

You are amazing, and I envy you so much. I love that you are a normal person, not a skinny stick complaining about "food bellies" and "fat days". You are a true inspiration and I love how you write! Reading your blog actually brought me to tears, I was laughing so hard!!
I'm interested in how you got into the routine of exercising, lacking iron and all. I, too, am iron deficient and regularly pass out, especially while working out. How did you get past that barrier? Please share your knowledge!

Thank you!!!
for me it was all about finding what worked to keep my levels in check. I do it with a combination of diet, an iron supplement, and b-12 injections to aid in their absorption. My advice would be to get a referral to a really good hematologist, it can be life changing.

Thank you for the motivation. People who fall down and stand up again are the greatest motivation ! It's important for us who are down to have courage and strength to move up! To know that we are empowered to change our lives for the better and feel happy again!
Wishing you all the best.

Wow - love your story! Very honest and inspiring. I've seen a lot of posts that glorify their surgery experiences but I know my friend's experience was the opposite; thank you for being so honest.
You're also hilarious - I'm reading your posts from the beginning and they're awesome!

WOW! Great story! I used to be a horrible eater. Anything that smelled or looked good would go straight to my mouth and then to my hips! I learned that I had to balance the bad with the good (more good is best). So, I started eating a lot of organic foods. Without all the toxins, I started feeling 100% better!

Cat! I can totally relate to the once "heavytarian"... even though I ate meat. Once, I shamefully ate an entire pack of oreos in one day -- back in college. I was mentally and physically ill. Grave's Disease had plagued me and along with impaired judgement, it sent my body through a whirlwind of ups and downs. Unfortunately, I had reverse effects of the typical Grave's Disease (most people lose a lot of weight-- I gained a lot of weight) and it seems now, like it took forever for my diagnosis to actually happen. Everyone just told me... "it's the freshman 15, get over it".... little did they know I'd be having surgery to remove most of both thyroid glands a few months later.. Anyway, I'm happy and healthy now, so I guess we're in the same boat again :) Awesome to have read your story. Keep truckin', girl ;)

Heh, you're funny! And a bit salty! Salt makes everything, better.
I can relate somewhat to your story, but of course it differs. I tipped the scales once at 220+ pounds and for a while, still couldn't get things right. I was a bright student, doing mediocre schoolwork college as I packed on pounds. It's ten years later, and I'm now feeling like I'm who I should be. Looking forward to reading more of you stuff!

I am so impressed with your story. Thanks for sharing. I just started blogging about my own weight losing journey. I've been overweight all my life and was raised in an obese household. I am just now trying to gain control over my eating. It's so hard but worth it. I'm looking forward to reading more about your blog and trying your recipes. YUM!

I've just begun my journey to a healthier me and in my googling for encouraging blogs that I can keep up with I came across yours! Thank-you in advance for giving me a place to come when I'm in need of inspiration, encouragement, advice, etc. Please feel free to check out my blog- it's new, so there isn't much on it now, but I started it to help keep me accountable in this new adventure!

Cat
I love your story!
When I was a kid my mom used to cook Christmas cookies and candy and my brother and I would pig out. I was addicted to sweets as a kid and was not active either. I have a slow metabolism and have to remain diligent in walking in order to keep the weight down. I lost 55 pounds over two years ago and have maintained for the most part but I'm wanting to lose another 20lbs.
Wish me luck,
Kevin David nuwayweightloss.com

I've just found you today, and boy am I glad I did! We share similar disorders and I'm elated to find someone who has found a way to walk through them, deal with them, and not let them get the better of you! Instead of Depression though, I have Bi-polar disorder, but other than that I have PCOS and PMDD, which the doctors never want to diagnose you with btw. I have many other disorders as well, unfortunately, but your strength and courage is amazing and gives me hope. I will be browsing your blog and hope to get to know you better!
I'm new to blogging, still trying to figure it out...Honestly, I suck at it. But I love to talk and be super social. Part of my Bi-polar problem is that I talk too much, too fast, and tend to talk all over the place. This can be good for writing my books, not so good for blogging *giggles*.
Anyway, before I talk you to death, or you kick the crazy lady off your blog, I'm going to take a look around. I'm especially interested in your healthy recipes! Since I became disabled, I don't exercise the way I used to, but of course I still eat the same bad (yummy) foods. I'm hoping to find an exciting new way to eat, as I know it will help with a lot of the health problems.
Thank you for sharing it's an amazing story that I will share with my adult children whom have these disorders as well!
Callie